Bill Burkette

William W. Burkette III (September 17, 1942 – March 1, 2018) was an American singer, best known for being the primary lead singer for The Vogues.

Career Burkette started singing with a vocal group in high school, with help from his school principal. His main inspiration was "Oh, What a Night" by The Dells.

In 1965, the group recorded their first two singles, "You're the One" (originally recorded by Petula Clark) and "Five O'Clock World", both of which charted at number four on the Billboard charts. Burkette was working in a factory at the time of The Vogues' first recordings, but quit his job with the rest of the group when "Five O'Clock World" became a hit.

In 2007, original member Hugh Geyer was called by one of the trademark owners and a member of the new Vogues group to join the group.

Personal life Burkette was married to Elaine M. Downing Burkette for fifty-four years. They had three children and three grandchildren.

Death After struggling with breathing problems at a Vogues gig in Prescott, Arizona, Burkette was soon diagnosed with Lung cancer. Burkette died at 7am at William Penn Care Center in Penn Township on March 1, 2018, aged 75. He stepped down from touring and at the time of his death had planned on returning to the road. According to his wife, he also had Lymphoma.